I found myself riding the brakes my first time doing a legit trail this past Memorial Day weekend. I'm new to MTB'ing. I just took lessons too and it helped me not die on my first downhill trail. However, I was riding the brakes on that hill because it was too advanced for my skill level. It's a good thing that my instructor was behind me helping me keep my form right.
There is that saying in MTB which describes well what discussed in the video: “Don’t be a passenger” And that can be applied to other dynamic sports such as skiing.
First 3 times I went downhill biking (aka first time on a mountain bike) I fell at least 6 times and bruised/cut up at least a quarter of my body over those 2 weeks lmao... 5th time, hardly any brakes and no falls 👍🏼 (4th time I send a jump a little too hard....)
After 50+ yrs of riding, here’s your hack: ride like you are filming someone in front of you, like you’re protecting/steadying a camera, look way ahead, stay smooth & “flowy” whether on the trail, go-kart track, wherever. Do this and notice how much faster and in control you are in. Give it a try friends.👍😉
I grew up enduro riding with my dad on my 2 stroke 80, he had a crf650 so I naturally learned how to keep up. On the downhills I’m usually behind my dad and his $10k bike. My whole mentality is pretend I’m filming him
I've been riding for 10 years and have always been slow on the downhill. I watched this video last night and road today. Set 2 PRs on the decent thanks to you. Incredible advice, thank you!
My rule #1: look AHEAD on the trail. I constantly have to remind myself of this, as I catch myself looking just a little in front of my front wheel. That makes every little curve seem a lot sharper than it really is. If you're looking past the curve, you often don't even notice it. Your body almost automatically moves the way it should to get your bike to go to the spot you're looking at. Also important because when you're riding fast, you're gonna be in that spot in a split second, so you better be ready for it!
I learned to look ahead in my skiing. Hard to maneuver a trail when you are constantly looking right ahead of you. If you keep looking ahead you also don't react to every little nook and cranny. Instead you'll just be letting your bike flow over those sections!
@@andrewlounsberry2371 On skis/board - this is ok - but on a bike, what always worries me are those roots that are almost inline with your wheels so that if you hit one, your front wheel slides out... how do you avoid that? - or is speed your friend here?
@@alastair4839 Well, in a way speed is your friend and looking ahead is always your friend! I know what you mean in referring to those roots that get you caught on the wrong side. By looking ahead of you, the idea is to sort of plan your path on the trail and set yourself up to avoid those roots or rocks that throw you for a loop. Or at least chart a better course though difficult terrain well before you are upon it.
@@alastair4839 Looking ahead will help you plan a better path. Even if you still hit those annoying roots mid corner(or some gravel/scree), just make sure you're leaning the bike underneath you and keeping your body as upright as possible and centered over the bottom bracket. Proper body position and you can easily recover from slides, even front wheel slides. @TheLoamRanger has another video on cornering that talks about this.
Not just look ahead. When entering a turn, I do best by looking at the inside edge (backslope) of the exit of the turn. I don't look down at the turn. I am looking past it and to the inside of what's after the turn. Kind of scary at first to trust your bike without looking immediately in front of you. But you get used to it.
I gotta admit I was actually looking forward to a good laugh as the music started....at the same time I was somewhat relieved when it was quickly kiboshed. 😆 Great advice as always. This braking technique also seems to keep those rotors a little cooler as a side benefit of not riding those brakes.
Hi: I am a 63 year old Mountain biker that just started about 5 years ago and I learn a lot from your videos. I am not interested in doing a red bull challenge or too serious of scary challenges. However, I enjoy riding immensely and getting better is important. Your teaching of skills is simple and insightful. Thanks for doing them!!
I learned this lesson from tracking my car. Finding braking zones makes you faster. It’s weird but it works. It’s also good to think about traction. Braking in a straight line is more efficient then braking and trying to turn at the same time. Traction can only be used for one action at a time. Your either braking, turning, or accelerating.
I was taught that you only have 100% of traction at any given speed so if you are using 70% of your traction to brake you only have 30% left to turn with. The key is you never have more traction than 100% so you have to decide how and when to use it for maximum acceleration, turning, and braking. You can do them at the same time but it won't be as effective as doing them by themself and if you go past your 100% you slide and have 0% traction.
Braking in corners will also have a tendency to force you more upright reducing your turning radius and traction (fewer side knobs as the bike stands up.)
I learned these principles from playing gran tursimo 😂. It definitely makes a difference when you break going straight before the turn and then power into the turn.
@ormondjosh underrated comment and principles! 👍🏽 I get most of my braking skills and looking ahead from moto road track riding. Much faster speeds forces seeing things more quickly and letting your brain trust what your eyes have already seen. Look ahead and trust staying looking ahead. Get all your braking done before the corner whether feathering/stabbing/dragging and understanding when to push into the corner to force traction or separate body & bike are huge components to making turns on the line you are intending to take. Huge tip: if you have a favorite rider pull up their videos and hit mute, playback speed at .25 so you can focus on the magic that will appear before you. There’s so much more to learn about going fast at slow speed!
The Best way to implement this is, is to ride a hardtail. ride a hardtail on your favorite trail for a month or so, than jump on your full suspension and ride that the same way you rode your hardtail. You will instantly be faster, not only will you be picking better lines, you will actually be riding the trail rather than fighting it like he mentions in the video.
You're completely right. Thanks for stressing that point. Hardtails are so fun AND they are an excellent way to learn skills... even if they are much less forgiving than FS bikes. Spank amateurs always appreciate ;)
Totally agree. I ride an 04’ hardtail with a crappy Suntour fork and skinny tires to hone my line choice skills and keep my body active. When I go back to my Trek EX 7 it’s almost too easy. You will ride with so much more speed and confidence.
Good point. A few years ago someone gave me an old Raleigh USA MTB - fully rigid. One day, none of my 4 bikes were rideable (the curse of being a bike mechanic) so I took it out on my local trail. What an eye opener! Every pebble felt like a boulder and every root like a log! It made me work on the basics incredibly hard and I really enjoyed it by the end.
Another great video. Your Buck concept is what PSIA/NSP (skiing) calls quiet upper body. The concept can be seen is great mogul skiers. They keep their upper body facing down the fall line (pointed down the mountain) their upper body and head don’t move up or down and they don’t rotate left or right. All the movement is from their hips down. Their hips/legs rotate side to side which controls their speed while at the same time they absorb the mogul with their knees.
I’ve been riding since the mid-90’s and have always been, let’s say quicker than most on downhills. Friends have always asked about my secrets, but I’ve always had a hard time pointing to anything because I’ve just always done what felt right. Between this video and “How to Corner Stupid Fast” you almost perfectly describe how I ride, and done an awesome job of verbalizing it.
Your tutorials speak to the person who appreciates simple but detailed and logical explanations for the concepts in many areas of bike handling. Thanks for all the great info. And the songs... Definately the songs.
3 or less (read: 2) simple steps to follow to ensure maximum remembrance & usability while on the trail: ✅ Careful articulate explanation of the benefits that each step provides: ✅ Demonstrates effectively how to perform each step: ✅
Purposefully went out tonight in Slaughterpen and applied this on Rim Trail and Techgnar. It worked really well for the first attempts. While they were the absolute fastest laps on these trails, they definitely felt the most in control and smoothest. Thank you for the video!
Stoked to see more talk about hard/attack braking! Learning to dump enough speed to be able to get off the brakes entirely in chunk and corners is game changing.
100% truth right here. Stay loose, look ahead and brake early to carry more speed through and out of the corner. I have actually been practicing intentionally trying to be loose and limit my braking the last few weeks and it has helped tremendously, especially with arm pump and fatigue on longer trails that are very physical.
Very good video. I have something to add tho: Try to look 1. as far away as possible (so you can process the trail faster) and 2. not at where you’re going but where you wanna go. I personally still have problems doing (1.) but I always notice how I ride faster and more controlled if I do these.
Your point about the full suspension bikes is so important. I had several friends all get into riding over the last couple of years and i recommended to all of them to get aggressive hard tails rather than start with full suspension. Their confidence has struggled to improve ironically ever since.
I need to say, been following your videos from the early pole days. I love the content, but what I love more is your very practical, very sensible, concise guidance on how to improve your riding. Its nicely packaged, and easily sharable pieces of knowledge that I appreciate. Thank you
I like to call it "Attack Mode". Mindset of attacking the trail ahead of you with an attack body position. Where I'm leading my bike to attack the section vs just letting my bike tack me. Makes all the difference. Loved this video.
The application of these simple actions has drastically improved my riding.... I'm singing stand up in the jumps as I approach jumps now, and I guess I'll be adding "let it buck and stay steady in my head and torso" as my primary thinking during the gnarly downhill bits. Thanks mate you are an awesome mtb training guide. 👍
This totally worked! I did it with my skills teacher. One thing I will add is that you must go lower when you tighten up if you are nervous. I tend to err toward caution way too much but this has changed my riding.
I always go back to this video before a race run or day at the bike park. It helps me remember to let the bike flow with the trail and not force against it
Spent the day at Bike Park Wales muttering ‘let it buck’ and ‘off the brakes’! The most transformational advice ever. Hitting and clearing big jumps, ploughing rock gardens and roots! Thanks for the post!
I'm trying it today. Edit: Im back and I had a misrable crash on a uphill feature but I did save it but ended up smashing my middle finger all I know is that I didn't break it. I maned up and went back the way I climbed and try'd my best to use my arms and torso as best as I could, and man I see the difference I didn't feel any stiffness and fear it even made me faster on the downhill. I'm very happy I saw this video before I went riding I'll never regret being subscribed to you! and we'll once again thanks! and Now I have to deal with my finger 🙄
You are such a great teacher! Your cornering advice changed my riding style permanently for the better and now this masterpiece. I'll try it out on the trails immediately!
Love how well you break down complicated skills into one or two key points. This video was like unlocking a door in my head. As soon as I applied the elements (still working on the braking thing) I rode faster, felt less fatigue in my hands and legs, and had SO much more fun. Thanks!!!
Another great tip video. A lot of folks make these 'tutorial' videos on YT but I must say.. your cornering / jumping and now this video... have really been among the best for distilling real information. Thanks dude.
I think LR is on point. However, there are a few things that should've been emphasized that riders should adopt ( helped me): 1. Relax - no death grips - when you're relaxed you can think clearly and react to the terrain with no pressure. Also, if you're relaxed your body is not tense, so you're more fluid with the bike. 2. Use the Dropper Post! : These days I'm probably 90% of the time off my saddle. I'm usually standing on my pedals in a Squat position. There are a few benefits to this: 1. You have a better vantage point to see what's ahead. 2. You're ready to 'Rock N' Roll': You're in a Proactive position - ready to respond to the terrain, Instead of reactive or passive. 3. Your legs act like an extra set of Suspension! They absorb the terrain and support you more. 3. Braking - what I learned was to feather the brakes and try to think ahead - slow down in advance or be strategic with braking like LR explained. Adopting these points has made me a a safer and better rider, while making my rides more fun. Try it, if you're not already!
I have a 2008 Rockhopper I bought from a friend who had replaced pretty much every component (good tires, beefy rockshox air fork, dropper, single chain ring, disc brakes, etc). I ride many trails the bike was not designed for (and probably shouldn't be riding) so I learned from experience that this is the only way it works. Nice to see what I've been doing explained so clearly, because now it makes even more sense! I really need a new bike lol.
What’s up buddy?! These how tos you’ve done, this, the jumping and cornering, are some of THE BEST how tos I’ve ever watched. And I’ve watched a lot. So simple. So concise. And they work! I was clearing Aline thanks to you! Can we get one on how to whip?! That’s my next big goal, I’m trying but I must be missing something, and something tells me a video of yours will give me the answer.
This is really well explained. It took me my first 2 years of riding to grasp and start to put together the "let it buck". I kept watching the really good riders, trying to figure out how they kept their torso and head still. Visually, I understood, but riding, I couldn't translate what I was doing with my body until this year. It made such a huge change to my riding, I keep trying to explain it to my riding buddies and wife.... now I have a video to show them ;-) Awesome on the breaking, I'm looking forward to trying that and getting better and faster. Thank You!
@4:20 Amen to that: a large amount of the trail/road/track inputs are way larger than the suspension travel of even the most plush bikes. You literally need to think of your bike as the unsprung mass whilst your body is the sprung mass - and your arms and legs are like the most sophisticated active suspension system.
this is something that even if u kind of already knew this hearing it from someone makes all the diff.. i cant wait to hit the trail tomm....Thanx man.... Keep up the amazing content!!!
Another great video, thank you! It was one of the biggest point I just recently learned is to let the bike roll over things instead of braking and/or trying to go around them. This rhymes pretty well with the video here.
Solid advice. I have found myself unconsciously doing this sometimes and recognize how much more fun and smooth the ride is. Need to focus on doing this on purpose more often! 😁🤙
I'd imagine that's a lot easier clipped in, you can really relax your legs and feet instead of having to keep them wedged in the pedals over the fast bumpy stuff while on flats. Big reason why I've been considering switching
Wow! I just watched this and went on a pretty nice trail for the first time, right away! I was always pretty scared to let go on rough terrain because I never really knew how to break properly and corner properly! This was so freaking fun! I barely even touched the brakes after a while! The trail is unmarked and pretty rocky with two tire trails, not too steep/fast and the turns were quite mild, but I would have never had the balls to let go of the brakes this much because of all the rocks! I attacked the brakes on little straights right before a few corners that I couldn’t see what’s coming next, but i felt pretty comfortable! I let my arms and legs take a beating and the leaning in corners felt so natural for whatever reason! I never felt like I was losing control, not even close! I don’t have a seat dropper post but I lowered the seat a bit to make it easier… It was pretty much up and down all the time so I didn’t want to drop it all the way, no way I could climb some parts and didn’t want to stop… It was about 20 km all together! Thank you! I watched a lot of stuff but this was the one that really made a difference for me! I got a pretty old 29er BMC hardtail, Team Elite TE03 and I love it! New tires, serviced, new flat pedals, forks tuned, gloves! Buying a helmet soon! Planning on putting some new basic Shimano brakes, the Avid Elixr 1 it has are quite soft and I don’t really trust their stopping power at all lol got in quite afew sticky situations because I couldn’t slow down quick enough… But all good! I’m so stoked, MTB is so fun and I’m happy I got so into it!
Back into MTB in 2 weeks with a Giant Trance X 1. before this , i was riding bmx street. Back in the days, when i was a teenager i was just climbing and trail with my low budget mtb ❤ Cant w8 to see what i have to learn ❤
If I may throw something I discovered today practicing your how tos this morning, which by the way are the most logical I’ve seen and I’ve seen them all so thank you. Now to my discovery. I recently purchased a pair of Pedal Innovations Catalyst pedals as I’m turning 48 this month and still suffering from a major ankle injury 23 years ago. I bought them because I found that placing my feet on regular pedals so they were centred on the pedal lessened the strain on my achilles tendon and calf muscles which are worse for wear. Not only do my new pedals provide an incredible platform and more power climbing, I immediately began riding way faster. I believe this is happening because I can hold a “squat” body position far more effectively which in turn, allows me to do exactly what you’re explaining in this video. Not only are my new pedals a total game changer, they have dramatically enhanced my ability to dial all the techniques you’ve described in each of your how to’s. Next time you’re near Nelson, let’s ride. To everyone else, I hope my experience helps. Check out these pedals.
100% accurate my third year has been set back for injury but it will be ok. Yes my bikes ok! I ride a short travel cross country, I ride all blue and most black d trails .Worked on jumps over the winter. I cannot wait for this hamstring to heal up and get back after it!
The braking late and hard technique was a game changer for me, didn’t get the chance to really deploy it until I had my first trip to a bike park wales. Was super effective.
Same as a race car on a track, brakes heavily at the last moment possible, in a straight line to hit the apex at the right speed, than let go the brakes, enter slower and come out faster. i ve linked many things from mtb to sports i already do or have done in the past. Like, letting your body go with the flow while keeping it steady and leveled to absorb the bumps, ive learned that from snowboarding.
This is super helpful. The most educational part of this video for me is to visibly see a trail youre riding down and the onscreen text that shows when to break and when to buck. Thank you!!
I find it ironic that TH-cam recommends me this video now, just as I am laying in bed recovering from binning my bike the second run into a 3-day holiday...
So I tried this out today on my ride. I felt a lot more confident going fast, though I learned quickly that “aggressively attacking your brakes” is more of a dirt/single track concept and is much less effective on gravel… still works, you just can’t be as aggressive, especially on turns or you’ll find yourself sliding all over the place!! I did set a record on Strava though, so it works!
I've noticed the same thing with braking. I've noticed that going downhill on the ruff stuff makes you bump around a lot and caused my chain to come off actually, but if you wait for it to be open without roots of rocks and pull hard on brakes you slow down better and can ride the ruff stuff. Also riding BMX helps I feel, cause you get used to standing up and also pumping
I love the way you explain things. You really need to know a subject to take the complicated and break it down to a simplified core. Now I just need to watch all of them again before my next ride. Or maybe one at a time ;)
I grew up before the era of mountain bikes, and I would ride these types of trails on a BMX bike - a great way to practice the lessons taught in this video.
Makes a lot of sense, I equate this to skiing as well, cant be checking your speed all the way down the blacks, pick your spots and stay balanced for the spicy bits. Thanks again!
Ben Cathro had a video on this and called it race braking. It was a little confusing to me, but you just simplified it. Thank you!!!! I can’t wait to ride tomorrow
Holy!moly!i have a 120mm of travel trail bike ryan here in Nova Scotia and that’s what i’ve been doing now,i just let the bike buck and just used my arms and legs for more suspension and i do heavy braking when the gnarly corners or really rocky sections just a bit infront of me and i just did that when i changed my rear brakes to 4pistons to really lock up when i need it for a sec and release it again🤘🏽
Really appreciate these simplified tip videos, they are way easier to keep in mind while on the trails and have been very helpful so far. That washboard road near the bottom of Silverstar is what made me realize the less you brake the smoother it feels, miserable if you try to ride it slow but no problem if you no brake it
Excellent video and advice! I think another huge thing is to make sure your suspension is set up properly for you and your terrain. Neglected suspension settings can make a nice bike ride like a cheap bike. Keep up the great videos!
I discovered this while totally frustrated with being dropped by my buddy on trails i knew as well as he did! Once i figured out where my braking points were and where to just let it go my riding became so much smoother and much faster! I never thought of it as bucking as much as bounding down the trail like a deer!
Yeah absolutely ! Improved a lot after finding the right bar width and sweep to get fully engaged. Had to go with 12 degree sweep to get wrist alignment . Great vid !!
the faster i get the more i do this. it also gives you more confidence in your braking (and heats the brakes less). that's also why most say you should start on a hard tail: you are forced to ride the bike rather than letting the bike ride you and thus absorb with your body "let it buck" that way
Josh Ormond reply is right on - car track days/motor racing exp is helpful in many ways. One is to keep eyes up and looking further down trail so can plan heavy braking spots
Thanks for your awesome tutorials, recently watched this one, as well as the jumping and cornering videos, and they really make it so easy to understand the most basic of techniques. Coming from a roadie who has just gotten into mountain biking, I’m a little apprehensive, but I’m slowly starting to have a bit for fun and let loose a little.
This is awesome! I used these techniques all my life from old school BMX to old school hard tail, when 3” travel was considered “long travel” to current enduro bikes (yup, I’m that old). I always find it hard to explain it to new riders, but this is perfect explanation.
I really like those two tips. Simple easy to implement and I’ve never heard anyone explain it in that way. I’ll be putting those tips to the test this weekend.
Technique is very similar to downhill moguls - keep your upper body as still as possible,. facing in the direction you want to go in, while lower body bounces like crazy!
Yes,my guide in Malaga, who was an EWS racer said: Weightlessness Just another word for what you described. Perhaps this helps some people in their heads as well. Made me much faster, smoother and feel fresher at the end of the riding than usual.
Get your Scuvvers here: bit.ly/LoamScuvvers
hey Loam Ranger , that suspension travel with twig demo was the funniest and most accurate description
The rap abort cracked me up.
Agreed, one of the biggest challenges in mountain biking is to NOT brake all the time.
I found myself riding the brakes my first time doing a legit trail this past Memorial Day weekend. I'm new to MTB'ing. I just took lessons too and it helped me not die on my first downhill trail. However, I was riding the brakes on that hill because it was too advanced for my skill level. It's a good thing that my instructor was behind me helping me keep my form right.
There is that saying in MTB which describes well what discussed in the video:
“Don’t be a passenger”
And that can be applied to other dynamic sports such as skiing.
First 3 times I went downhill biking (aka first time on a mountain bike) I fell at least 6 times and bruised/cut up at least a quarter of my body over those 2 weeks lmao... 5th time, hardly any brakes and no falls 👍🏼 (4th time I send a jump a little too hard....)
Ive learned to work with only 3 - 4 inches
Thats what she said
Real shit dawg
First day practice I fall of the cliff second day did it agian and sent me to the hospital😂😂 now today I tried it agian it work
After 50+ yrs of riding, here’s your hack: ride like you are filming someone in front of you, like you’re protecting/steadying a camera, look way ahead, stay smooth & “flowy” whether on the trail, go-kart track, wherever. Do this and notice how much faster and in control you are in. Give it a try friends.👍😉
Ride as an cameraman
I grew up enduro riding with my dad on my 2 stroke 80, he had a crf650 so I naturally learned how to keep up. On the downhills I’m usually behind my dad and his $10k bike. My whole mentality is pretend I’m filming him
I've been riding for 10 years and have always been slow on the downhill. I watched this video last night and road today. Set 2 PRs on the decent thanks to you. Incredible advice, thank you!
That's great news 🤘
I seriously got stoked for the song break! What a tease!
You wouldn’t believe the moves I had lined up next. Time to send Hunter a strongly worded letter.
I was so hyped when the song began... then my dreams were crushed.
I also was hoping to see the song 😂
My rule #1: look AHEAD on the trail. I constantly have to remind myself of this, as I catch myself looking just a little in front of my front wheel. That makes every little curve seem a lot sharper than it really is. If you're looking past the curve, you often don't even notice it. Your body almost automatically moves the way it should to get your bike to go to the spot you're looking at. Also important because when you're riding fast, you're gonna be in that spot in a split second, so you better be ready for it!
I learned to look ahead in my skiing. Hard to maneuver a trail when you are constantly looking right ahead of you. If you keep looking ahead you also don't react to every little nook and cranny. Instead you'll just be letting your bike flow over those sections!
@@andrewlounsberry2371 On skis/board - this is ok - but on a bike, what always worries me are those roots that are almost inline with your wheels so that if you hit one, your front wheel slides out... how do you avoid that? - or is speed your friend here?
@@alastair4839 Well, in a way speed is your friend and looking ahead is always your friend! I know what you mean in referring to those roots that get you caught on the wrong side. By looking ahead of you, the idea is to sort of plan your path on the trail and set yourself up to avoid those roots or rocks that throw you for a loop. Or at least chart a better course though difficult terrain well before you are upon it.
@@alastair4839 Looking ahead will help you plan a better path. Even if you still hit those annoying roots mid corner(or some gravel/scree), just make sure you're leaning the bike underneath you and keeping your body as upright as possible and centered over the bottom bracket. Proper body position and you can easily recover from slides, even front wheel slides.
@TheLoamRanger has another video on cornering that talks about this.
Not just look ahead. When entering a turn, I do best by looking at the inside edge (backslope) of the exit of the turn. I don't look down at the turn. I am looking past it and to the inside of what's after the turn. Kind of scary at first to trust your bike without looking immediately in front of you. But you get used to it.
I gotta admit I was actually looking forward to a good laugh as the music started....at the same time I was somewhat relieved when it was quickly kiboshed. 😆
Great advice as always. This braking technique also seems to keep those rotors a little cooler as a side benefit of not riding those brakes.
Hi: I am a 63 year old Mountain biker that just started about 5 years ago and I learn a lot from your videos. I am not interested in doing a red bull challenge or too serious of scary challenges. However, I enjoy riding immensely and getting better is important. Your teaching of skills is simple and insightful. Thanks for doing them!!
I learned this lesson from tracking my car. Finding braking zones makes you faster. It’s weird but it works. It’s also good to think about traction. Braking in a straight line is more efficient then braking and trying to turn at the same time. Traction can only be used for one action at a time. Your either braking, turning, or accelerating.
I was taught that you only have 100% of traction at any given speed so if you are using 70% of your traction to brake you only have 30% left to turn with. The key is you never have more traction than 100% so you have to decide how and when to use it for maximum acceleration, turning, and braking. You can do them at the same time but it won't be as effective as doing them by themself and if you go past your 100% you slide and have 0% traction.
Braking in corners will also have a tendency to force you more upright reducing your turning radius and traction (fewer side knobs as the bike stands up.)
@@MattDeLuco I call that the braking tractor beam. When I brake in corners, I always end up getting sucked into the object I’m trying to avoid.
I learned these principles from playing gran tursimo 😂. It definitely makes a difference when you break going straight before the turn and then power into the turn.
@ormondjosh underrated comment and principles! 👍🏽
I get most of my braking skills and looking ahead from moto road track riding. Much faster speeds forces seeing things more quickly and letting your brain trust what your eyes have already seen. Look ahead and trust staying looking ahead. Get all your braking done before the corner whether feathering/stabbing/dragging and understanding when to push into the corner to force traction or separate body & bike are huge components to making turns on the line you are intending to take.
Huge tip: if you have a favorite rider pull up their videos and hit mute, playback speed at .25 so you can focus on the magic that will appear before you. There’s so much more to learn about going fast at slow speed!
The Best way to implement this is, is to ride a hardtail. ride a hardtail on your favorite trail for a month or so, than jump on your full suspension and ride that the same way you rode your hardtail. You will instantly be faster, not only will you be picking better lines, you will actually be riding the trail rather than fighting it like he mentions in the video.
You're completely right. Thanks for stressing that point. Hardtails are so fun AND they are an excellent way to learn skills... even if they are much less forgiving than FS bikes. Spank amateurs always appreciate ;)
Exactly this! ... Except don't go back to a full suspension, just stay on your hardtail. 😇
Totally agree. I ride an 04’ hardtail with a crappy Suntour fork and skinny tires to hone my line choice skills and keep my body active. When I go back to my Trek EX 7 it’s almost too easy. You will ride with so much more speed and confidence.
yep. as soon as he mentioned the tip I thought _that's how I used to ride my HT!!_ Just goes to show how fs can make you lazy.
Good point.
A few years ago someone gave me an old Raleigh USA MTB - fully rigid.
One day, none of my 4 bikes were rideable (the curse of being a bike mechanic) so I took it out on my local trail. What an eye opener! Every pebble felt like a boulder and every root like a log!
It made me work on the basics incredibly hard and I really enjoyed it by the end.
Another great video. Your Buck concept is what PSIA/NSP (skiing) calls quiet upper body. The concept can be seen is great mogul skiers. They keep their upper body facing down the fall line (pointed down the mountain) their upper body and head don’t move up or down and they don’t rotate left or right. All the movement is from their hips down. Their hips/legs rotate side to side which controls their speed while at the same time they absorb the mogul with their knees.
I’ve been riding since the mid-90’s and have always been, let’s say quicker than most on downhills. Friends have always asked about my secrets, but I’ve always had a hard time pointing to anything because I’ve just always done what felt right.
Between this video and “How to Corner Stupid Fast” you almost perfectly describe how I ride, and done an awesome job of verbalizing it.
"But I'm the Loam Ranger!...I do the songs though!" 🤣🤣🤣
Your tutorials speak to the person who appreciates simple but detailed and logical explanations for the concepts in many areas of bike handling. Thanks for all the great info. And the songs... Definately the songs.
3 or less (read: 2) simple steps to follow to ensure maximum remembrance & usability while on the trail: ✅
Careful articulate explanation of the benefits that each step provides: ✅
Demonstrates effectively how to perform each step: ✅
Purposefully went out tonight in Slaughterpen and applied this on Rim Trail and Techgnar. It worked really well for the first attempts. While they were the absolute fastest laps on these trails, they definitely felt the most in control and smoothest. Thank you for the video!
Awesome to hear!
Stoked to see more talk about hard/attack braking! Learning to dump enough speed to be able to get off the brakes entirely in chunk and corners is game changing.
100% truth right here. Stay loose, look ahead and brake early to carry more speed through and out of the corner. I have actually been practicing intentionally trying to be loose and limit my braking the last few weeks and it has helped tremendously, especially with arm pump and fatigue on longer trails that are very physical.
Very good video.
I have something to add tho: Try to look 1. as far away as possible (so you can process the trail faster) and 2. not at where you’re going but where you wanna go. I personally still have problems doing (1.) but I always notice how I ride faster and more controlled if I do these.
Your point about the full suspension bikes is so important. I had several friends all get into riding over the last couple of years and i recommended to all of them to get aggressive hard tails rather than start with full suspension. Their confidence has struggled to improve ironically ever since.
I need to say, been following your videos from the early pole days. I love the content, but what I love more is your very practical, very sensible, concise guidance on how to improve your riding. Its nicely packaged, and easily sharable pieces of knowledge that I appreciate. Thank you
I like to call it "Attack Mode". Mindset of attacking the trail ahead of you with an attack body position. Where I'm leading my bike to attack the section vs just letting my bike tack me. Makes all the difference. Loved this video.
The application of these simple actions has drastically improved my riding.... I'm singing stand up in the jumps as I approach jumps now, and I guess I'll be adding "let it buck and stay steady in my head and torso" as my primary thinking during the gnarly downhill bits.
Thanks mate you are an awesome mtb training guide. 👍
This totally worked! I did it with my skills teacher. One thing I will add is that you must go lower when you tighten up if you are nervous. I tend to err toward caution way too much but this has changed my riding.
I always go back to this video before a race run or day at the bike park. It helps me remember to let the bike flow with the trail and not force against it
Spent the day at Bike Park Wales muttering ‘let it buck’ and ‘off the brakes’! The most transformational advice ever. Hitting and clearing big jumps, ploughing rock gardens and roots! Thanks for the post!
Best MTB TH-camr yesterday
Best MTB TH-camr today
Best MTB TH-camr tomorrow
Keep up the great content 🤙
I'm trying it today. Edit: Im back and I had a misrable crash on a uphill feature but I did save it but ended up smashing my middle finger all I know is that I didn't break it. I maned up and went back the way I climbed and try'd my best to use my arms and torso as best as I could, and man I see the difference I didn't feel any stiffness and fear it even made me faster on the downhill. I'm very happy I saw this video before I went riding I'll never regret being subscribed to you! and we'll once again thanks! and Now I have to deal with my finger 🙄
You are such a great teacher! Your cornering advice changed my riding style permanently for the better and now this masterpiece. I'll try it out on the trails immediately!
+1
+2
By far the best tutorials in the game. Thanks man.
“We talked about this!” 😂
Great video! Definitely need to work on this myself!🤙🏼
Momentum is your friend if you want a chance of getting through the rich gardens.... it's also a b!tch when you stop abruptly. Great Video!
Love how well you break down complicated skills into one or two key points. This video was like unlocking a door in my head. As soon as I applied the elements (still working on the braking thing) I rode faster, felt less fatigue in my hands and legs, and had SO much more fun. Thanks!!!
Another great tip video. A lot of folks make these 'tutorial' videos on YT but I must say.. your cornering / jumping and now this video... have really been among the best for distilling real information. Thanks dude.
STAND UP TO THE JUMP, YOU GOTTA STAND UP TO THE JUMP! You have the simplest, most effective pointers!
I think LR is on point. However, there are a few things that should've been emphasized that riders
should adopt ( helped me):
1. Relax - no death grips - when you're relaxed you can think clearly and react to the terrain with no pressure. Also, if you're relaxed your body is not tense, so you're more fluid with the bike.
2. Use the Dropper Post! : These days I'm probably 90% of the time off my saddle. I'm usually standing on my pedals in a Squat position. There are a few benefits to this: 1. You have a better vantage point to see what's ahead. 2. You're ready to 'Rock N' Roll': You're in a Proactive position - ready to respond to the terrain, Instead of reactive or passive. 3. Your legs act like an extra set of Suspension! They absorb the terrain and support you more.
3. Braking - what I learned was to feather the brakes and try to think ahead - slow down in advance or be strategic with braking like LR explained.
Adopting these points has made me a a safer and better rider, while making my rides more fun.
Try it, if you're not already!
I have a 2008 Rockhopper I bought from a friend who had replaced pretty much every component (good tires, beefy rockshox air fork, dropper, single chain ring, disc brakes, etc). I ride many trails the bike was not designed for (and probably shouldn't be riding) so I learned from experience that this is the only way it works. Nice to see what I've been doing explained so clearly, because now it makes even more sense! I really need a new bike lol.
Learned this by riding full rigid Fat Bike this winter , the hard tail life will teach you a ton about proper riding
100%
What’s up buddy?! These how tos you’ve done, this, the jumping and cornering, are some of THE BEST how tos I’ve ever watched. And I’ve watched a lot. So simple. So concise. And they work! I was clearing Aline thanks to you!
Can we get one on how to whip?! That’s my next big goal, I’m trying but I must be missing something, and something tells me a video of yours will give me the answer.
This is really well explained. It took me my first 2 years of riding to grasp and start to put together the "let it buck". I kept watching the really good riders, trying to figure out how they kept their torso and head still. Visually, I understood, but riding, I couldn't translate what I was doing with my body until this year. It made such a huge change to my riding, I keep trying to explain it to my riding buddies and wife.... now I have a video to show them ;-) Awesome on the breaking, I'm looking forward to trying that and getting better and faster. Thank You!
Really enjoying your videos.. 40 year old dad headed to the bike park this week, I think these will make a big difference!
@4:20 Amen to that: a large amount of the trail/road/track inputs are way larger than the suspension travel of even the most plush bikes.
You literally need to think of your bike as the unsprung mass whilst your body is the sprung mass - and your arms and legs are like the most sophisticated active suspension system.
this is something that even if u kind of already knew this hearing it from someone makes all the diff.. i cant wait to hit the trail tomm....Thanx man.... Keep up the amazing content!!!
Another great video, thank you! It was one of the biggest point I just recently learned is to let the bike roll over things instead of braking and/or trying to go around them. This rhymes pretty well with the video here.
Solid advice. I have found myself unconsciously doing this sometimes and recognize how much more fun and smooth the ride is. Need to focus on doing this on purpose more often! 😁🤙
The song helps me so much personally the stand up to the jump was stuck In my head for ages and it helped me so much
Seems like it would work… gonna go try it this afternoon! And thanks for the tip on Scuvvers. Just joined the list!
I'd imagine that's a lot easier clipped in, you can really relax your legs and feet instead of having to keep them wedged in the pedals over the fast bumpy stuff while on flats. Big reason why I've been considering switching
Let the man sing! Stand up to the jump was an absolute banger! I sing it to myself every ride now.
The sections of breaking is basically like skiing tight trees, that makes so much sense.
Wow! I just watched this and went on a pretty nice trail for the first time, right away! I was always pretty scared to let go on rough terrain because I never really knew how to break properly and corner properly! This was so freaking fun! I barely even touched the brakes after a while! The trail is unmarked and pretty rocky with two tire trails, not too steep/fast and the turns were quite mild, but I would have never had the balls to let go of the brakes this much because of all the rocks! I attacked the brakes on little straights right before a few corners that I couldn’t see what’s coming next, but i felt pretty comfortable! I let my arms and legs take a beating and the leaning in corners felt so natural for whatever reason! I never felt like I was losing control, not even close! I don’t have a seat dropper post but I lowered the seat a bit to make it easier… It was pretty much up and down all the time so I didn’t want to drop it all the way, no way I could climb some parts and didn’t want to stop… It was about 20 km all together! Thank you! I watched a lot of stuff but this was the one that really made a difference for me! I got a pretty old 29er BMC hardtail, Team Elite TE03 and I love it! New tires, serviced, new flat pedals, forks tuned, gloves! Buying a helmet soon! Planning on putting some new basic Shimano brakes, the Avid Elixr 1 it has are quite soft and I don’t really trust their stopping power at all lol got in quite afew sticky situations because I couldn’t slow down quick enough… But all good! I’m so stoked, MTB is so fun and I’m happy I got so into it!
Further proof that Canadians are hilarious!!! Love this guy. Learn something new every time.
Back into MTB in 2 weeks with a Giant Trance X 1. before this , i was riding bmx street. Back in the days, when i was a teenager i was just climbing and trail with my low budget mtb ❤
Cant w8 to see what i have to learn ❤
so many good tips. always well illustrated. gotta love the Loam Ranger !
If I may throw something I discovered today practicing your how tos this morning, which by the way are the most logical I’ve seen and I’ve seen them all so thank you. Now to my discovery. I recently purchased a pair of Pedal Innovations Catalyst pedals as I’m turning 48 this month and still suffering from a major ankle injury 23 years ago. I bought them because I found that placing my feet on regular pedals so they were centred on the pedal lessened the strain on my achilles tendon and calf muscles which are worse for wear. Not only do my new pedals provide an incredible platform and more power climbing, I immediately began riding way faster. I believe this is happening because I can hold a “squat” body position far more effectively which in turn, allows me to do exactly what you’re explaining in this video. Not only are my new pedals a total game changer, they have dramatically enhanced my ability to dial all the techniques you’ve described in each of your how to’s. Next time you’re near Nelson, let’s ride. To everyone else, I hope my experience helps. Check out these pedals.
I've found that time training on a pump track helped me get off the brakes more and I ride much smoother.
You just saved me $3k-$4k (for now) I’m going to keep riding my Hardtail, and continue to do the legwork as a suspension 😅
100% accurate my third year has been set back for injury but it will be ok. Yes my bikes ok! I ride a short travel cross country, I ride all blue and most black d trails .Worked on jumps over the winter. I cannot wait for this hamstring to heal up and get back after it!
The braking late and hard technique was a game changer for me, didn’t get the chance to really deploy it until I had my first trip to a bike park wales. Was super effective.
Implemented the attack braking tip yesterday on the trails and was sooooooooo much faster..mega tip🤙
the relax thing, just like snowboarding, let you joints bend and flow. i added that to my riding, speed up along with comfort.
Your video last year on cornering changed the way I ride for the better 10x, hoping this does the same, seems like solid advice
Same as a race car on a track, brakes heavily at the last moment possible, in a straight line to hit the apex at the right speed, than let go the brakes, enter slower and come out faster. i ve linked many things from mtb to sports i already do or have done in the past. Like, letting your body go with the flow while keeping it steady and leveled to absorb the bumps, ive learned that from snowboarding.
This is super helpful.
The most educational part of this video for me is to visibly see a trail youre riding down and the onscreen text that shows when to break and when to buck.
Thank you!!
This is like thinking philosophical about riding technique. Brilliant 🌟
Well 'stand up to the jump' absolutely works, so reckon gotta give this a go
I find it ironic that TH-cam recommends me this video now, just as I am laying in bed recovering from binning my bike the second run into a 3-day holiday...
So I tried this out today on my ride. I felt a lot more confident going fast, though I learned quickly that “aggressively attacking your brakes” is more of a dirt/single track concept and is much less effective on gravel… still works, you just can’t be as aggressive, especially on turns or you’ll find yourself sliding all over the place!!
I did set a record on Strava though, so it works!
This guy was the first MTB TH-camr I ever watched
I've noticed the same thing with braking. I've noticed that going downhill on the ruff stuff makes you bump around a lot and caused my chain to come off actually, but if you wait for it to be open without roots of rocks and pull hard on brakes you slow down better and can ride the ruff stuff. Also riding BMX helps I feel, cause you get used to standing up and also pumping
I love the way you explain things. You really need to know a subject to take the complicated and break it down to a simplified core. Now I just need to watch all of them again before my next ride. Or maybe one at a time ;)
Dude I was stoked for another song and was upset when you were rudely interrupted… yes you ARE the loan ranger. Do your thang!!!! 🎶
I grew up riding a 20" bmx bike everywhere. You learn real quick how to obsorb bumps and how to go fast when you only have 1 brake
I grew up before the era of mountain bikes, and I would ride these types of trails on a BMX bike - a great way to practice the lessons taught in this video.
Makes a lot of sense, I equate this to skiing as well, cant be checking your speed all the way down the blacks, pick your spots and stay balanced for the spicy bits. Thanks again!
Ben Cathro had a video on this and called it race braking. It was a little confusing to me, but you just simplified it. Thank you!!!! I can’t wait to ride tomorrow
Holy!moly!i have a 120mm of travel trail bike ryan here in Nova Scotia and that’s what i’ve been doing now,i just let the bike buck and just used my arms and legs for more suspension and i do heavy braking when the gnarly corners or really rocky sections just a bit infront of me and i just did that when i changed my rear brakes to 4pistons to really lock up when i need it for a sec and release it again🤘🏽
I wish this existed years ago. Biking is just like race cars, brake hard before the turn, full send everywhere else.
Really appreciate these simplified tip videos, they are way easier to keep in mind while on the trails and have been very helpful so far. That washboard road near the bottom of Silverstar is what made me realize the less you brake the smoother it feels, miserable if you try to ride it slow but no problem if you no brake it
Excellent video and advice! I think another huge thing is to make sure your suspension is set up properly for you and your terrain. Neglected suspension settings can make a nice bike ride like a cheap bike. Keep up the great videos!
"if you're anything like me, and i know I am..." lol. definitely going to use that one in the future.
I discovered this while totally frustrated with being dropped by my buddy on trails i knew as well as he did! Once i figured out where my braking points were and where to just let it go my riding became so much smoother and much faster! I never thought of it as bucking as much as bounding down the trail like a deer!
Yeah absolutely ! Improved a lot after finding the right bar width and sweep to get fully engaged. Had to go with 12 degree sweep to get wrist alignment . Great vid !!
Agreed! I found that 10 degrees is the sweet spot for me.
yep 10 - 12 is perfect, so few choices tho
Love the science.
I too, need to know the 'why' and not just the 'how'.
Bar length, rise and stem length are also important. Natural body position with these things are key
the faster i get the more i do this. it also gives you more confidence in your braking (and heats the brakes less). that's also why most say you should start on a hard tail: you are forced to ride the bike rather than letting the bike ride you and thus absorb with your body "let it buck" that way
great vid man!! And def diggin the Scuvers too😁
This is amazing, you took "heavy feet light hands" and made it make even more sense!!
Josh Ormond reply is right on - car track days/motor racing exp is helpful in many ways. One is to keep eyes up and looking further down trail so can plan heavy braking spots
Yes…you have to look get loose and let it buck, especially on your Hardtail👊🏼
HAHAH I was fully ready for the song dude! I been standing up to jumps!
Thanks for your awesome tutorials, recently watched this one, as well as the jumping and cornering videos, and they really make it so easy to understand the most basic of techniques. Coming from a roadie who has just gotten into mountain biking, I’m a little apprehensive, but I’m slowly starting to have a bit for fun and let loose a little.
Great to hear! Thanks!
Facts here👍🏻. This is stuff I tell new riders to loosen up
Waiting for the full music vid 🪕🎷🪗
This is awesome! I used these techniques all my life from old school BMX to old school hard tail, when 3” travel was considered “long travel” to current enduro bikes (yup, I’m that old). I always find it hard to explain it to new riders, but this is perfect explanation.
I really like those two tips. Simple easy to implement and I’ve never heard anyone explain it in that way. I’ll be putting those tips to the test this weekend.
Your how to videos are the best man. Can you do one on technical uphills?
Technique is very similar to downhill moguls - keep your upper body as still as possible,. facing in the direction you want to go in, while lower body bounces like crazy!
Yes,my guide in Malaga, who was an EWS racer said:
Weightlessness
Just another word for what you described. Perhaps this helps some people in their heads as well.
Made me much faster, smoother and feel fresher at the end of the riding than usual.